By Rollie Nichols
Staff Writer
The perfect integration of pop culture and remixed country has proven extremely successful for the Zac Brown Band in its newest album “Jekyll and Hyde”
Zac Brown Band has been a prestigious country group for many years now but this album has put them in a category of their own. The loud and more electric guitars and beats are accompanied by electronic beats and mixes that make these songs seem more upbeat, following the flow of pop culture.
Zac Brown Band has its roots in Atlanta, Georgia and has made its mark in country music since 2002. Lead singer and guitarist Zac Brown started the band and has added seven new musicians to accompany him in his songs. As shown by their Grammy Award for Best Country Album for “Uncaged” the Zac Brown Band has a reputation to uphold.
The new album is listed under the country genre by iTunes however; it sounds less like the common perception of country music today, as shown specifically by the song “Beautiful Drug”. As well as being the best song on the album, it uses heavy drum beats and incorporates electronic sounds that make it sound more modern and upbeat as compared to most slow and less energetic country songs.
The theme of “Beautiful Drug” exemplifies the stereotypical Zac Brown Band song about a woman. Brown sings about how in love he is with this woman and is even addicted to her love like someone would be to a drug. His ability to tell a story in his songs and easily get his message across with thoughtful lyrics is what makes him unique as compared to many other country singers.
The band has always been successful with these emotion filled songs about heartbreaks and falling in love and proves their ability again with another possible award winning song.
The album features artists such as Sara Bareilles and Chris Cornell in the songs “Mango Tree” and “Heavy is the Head” respectively. The addition of these artists is a positive asset to the album especially in respect to Bareilles and her strong voice, because the band generally does not have a female singer in its songs.
The addition of a woman to the album in even just one song has made the band even more unique. Her voice adds a new range and sentiment to the songs that another man could not achieve. The song “Mango Tree” is a story about getting away with a woman and finding a place to sit in the shade to enjoy and reflect on life, and with the voice of Bareilles, the listener gets to hear the male and female perspective of the story.
The song “Bittersweet” incorporates those rock and roll electric guitars in a loud and energy filled guitar solo that leads into the chorus. This loud and upbeat style makes the songs seem less and less like the stereotypical country song. They have a positive and energetic aspect to them filling the listener with pleasurable emotions.
A song like “Castaway” has a more reggae feel to it with the use of drums and an echoing vocal aspect in the background. The reggae style adds yet another genre of music that Brown and his band have proven to be able to make work with their voices. This variation of musical genres throughout the album makes it unique and entertaining to listeners with many different tastes.
Zac Brown Band has raised its own standards with the new album “Jekyll and Hyde.” The blend of country music, rock, and techno has proved successful in the lyrical, rhythmic, and musical aspects of the band’s newest album.
“Jekyll and Hyde” was released on April 28th and is $12.99 on iTunes.
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